Sapygina (Sapygella) saudica Soliman and Gadallah, 2025

Sapygina (Sapygella) saudica Soliman and Gadallah sp. n.

(Figures 7‒9, 10C, D)

Recognition

The holotype male of the new species agrees with S. swierstrae (Arnold) (Arnold 1929, p. 176) in having

HISTORY the male of S. swierstrae in having 3RSb as long as 3RSa and 3RSc combined ( Figure 9A View Figure 9 ) (in S. swierstrae slightly longer than 3RSa and 3RSc combined); head densely punctate, punctures less than one claw, (C) dorsal view of metasoma, (D) ventral view of metasoma.

white and entire in front); the colour pattern is yellow (Figure 7A‒C) (in S. swierstrae , the colour creamy white). Comparing with S. swierstrae photos of female type in the waspweb (https://www. org/Pompiloidea/ Sapygidae / Sapygina /index.htm), S. saudica also differs in the extensive yellow markings mesosoma ( Figure 8A View Figure 8 ) (in S. swiestrae , the white is greatly reduced on mesosoma); T 1 with long markings postero-laterally ( Figure 9C View Figure 9 ) (in S. swierstrae , T 1 entirely black); mandible with apical tooth apically, moderately longer than preapical tooth (Figure 7D) (in S. swierstrae , apical tooth sharply conspicuously longer than preapical tooth); mesosomal dorsum distinctly convex in lateral view (

HISTORY and mesopleuron sparsely punctate, punctures 1‒2 diameters apart); vein 2 r-m of fore wing nearly medially ( Figure 9A View Figure 9 ) (in S. swierstrae , 2 r-m distinctly angulate medially).

Head (Figures 7C‒E, 8A, B). In anterior view 1.1× as wide as high; frons with dense irregular foveolation, separated in some parts by a distance less than a foveolar diameter; clypeus concave

1.6× as wide as high, without median longitudinal carina, sparsely punctate, with slight emarginate medially and straight at base; clypeus separated from inner margin of eye by a distance equal to AOD space short, 0.38× as long as basal width of mandible; frontal shelf of frons moderately projecting, separated from basal margin of clypeus; POL 0.87× OOL; ocellar triangle obtuse, with base 1.6× as long lateral side; TFC absent; gena relatively broad, broader ventrally than dorsally, sparsely punctate; carina developed only laterally, in alignment of pronotal humeral angle (absent beyond ocelli reaching hypostomal carina); antenna densely covered with microsensilla, scape relatively long,

base and widened apically, pedicel short and globular, as long as wide; F1 2.0× as long as its apical slightly longer than F2, F2 1.45× as long as its width, F2‒11 with a fine lateral carina; F3‒9 about flagellar segment concave laterally, its lateral carina ending in a slightly pointed protrusion; tridentate, with the basal tooth distinctly large, conspicuously separated from mandibular apex,

a right angle with the subapical tooth; subapical tooth distinctly shorter than apical tooth, both of rounded apically, outer margin of mandible with fine long pale setae.

Mesosoma ( Figures 8A‒C View Figure 8 , 9A, B View Figure 9 ). Median length 1.6× as long as its widest part in dorsal view, and long as high in lateral view; pronotum short, 3.0× as wide as long, humeral angle right, with straight margin and concave posteriorly, pronotal lateral margin slightly shorter than mesoscutum (medially) (0.95×), shiny, with dense, deep punctures, becoming finer laterally; mesoscutum 1.6× as long, densely setigerous punctate, dull; notauli indistinct; scutellar suture linear, shallow; scutellum when seen in lateral view, without carina, shiny, punctate, with smaller dots between punctures;

short, 0.5× as long as scutellum, shiny, with fewer punctures; propodeum shiny, with irregularly punctures dorsally, rugose laterally; mesopleuron shiny, deeply punctate, punctures shallower yellow marking above; metapleuron dull, with dense fine punctures. Fore wing ( Figure 9A View Figure 9 ) setose distinctly denser in radial cell; 1 m-cu received near to middle of the SMC2; SMC2 1.5× as wide as its anterior side of SMC3 about as long as posterior side; veins 1 r-m and 2 r-m meeting vein M nearly angle; 3RSb as long as 3RSa and 3RSc combined; vein 2 r-m nearly straight medially. Hind wing (

r-m straight, meeting vein M at right angle. Legs ( Figures 8C View Figure 8 , 9B View Figure 9 ). Coxae robust, ventral face of front densely setose apically, mid and hind coxae sparsely punctate, the latter without carina; hind basitarsus long as the following three tarsomeres combined; tarsal claws with a subapical short tooth, about long as apical tooth, rest of claw swollen ventrally.

Metasoma (Figures 7A, B, 9C, D). Coriaceous, with sparse fine punctures, dorsally and ventrally, smooth on either side of punctate longitudinal medial stripe; T 1 1.1× as long as its posterior margin,

and depressed anteriorly, gradually widened posteriorly, posterior margin sinuate; T 2 0.56× as long posterior width, longer than T 3 (1.17×), T 3‒5 are approximately equal in length; T 6 and T 7 medial longer than preceding tergites.

Male genitalia ( Figure 10C, D View Figure 10 ). Aedeagus narrowly separated medially; PV with 9‒10 short spines nally; P in dorsal aspect somewhat convex, with outer margins distinctly convex, meeting together the middle, then narrowly separated ventrally, acute postero-laterally; PS slender, pointed apically,

with setae; Cu in the form of a broad rounded sac apically that are very close to each other, densely with fine pale setae mainly on the sac, with hook-like, contiguous structure above, directed towards other; digitus slender, but swollen to rounded apically, distinctly shorter than PS and slightly longer about as long as PV.

Colouration (Figures 7A‒D, 8A, B, 9C, D). Body black, without any red, the following parts pale clypeus basally and laterally (inverted U-shaped), inner eye emargination, scape largely dorsally, along posterior margin of eye, an inverted V-shaped area on frons just above antennal insertions, a

HISTORY above, a large marking area postero-laterally on T 1, most of T 2 except medially, T 3 with a sinuated posteriorly and extending laterally; T 4‑6 each with a sinuated (medially bi-emarginate) band

(wider on T 6), apical half of T 7. Wings hyaline, with brown vein, radial cell of fore wing slightly darker fore wing with stigma, veins 2 r, RS and M are deep dark brown. Legs dark, with all femora and hind externally with yellow strip.

Material examined

Holotype ♂, Saudi Arabia: Asir Abha, Wadi Dhila’ [ 18.050997 N, 42.496038E, Alt. 855 m], 30.VIII. GoogleMaps

leg. Ahmed M. Soliman [ KSMA].

Etymology

The new species is named in reference to the country ( Saudi Arabia) where the specimen was collected

Distribution Saudi Arabia.

Comments

This is the first record of the genus Sapygina from the Arabian Peninsula, specifically from Saudi Arabia family Sapygidae was previously represented in the region by a single species, Asmisapyga Gusenleitner, 1996 , reported from the United Arab Emirates ( Schmid-Egger 2010).

The new species, S. saudica , is placed here in the subgenus Sapygella based on the presence of mandibular tooth that is distinctly larger than the preapical tooth, forming a right angle with it and clearly separated from the mandibular apex.